Darkstone Code -
Chapter 284 - 0282 Negotiation, probing, core
Chapter 284: 0282 Negotiation, probing, core
Lynch sat at the table with a relaxed posture, listening to the president of the Workers’ Union deliver a long opening speech. The content was nothing more than how society would collapse if the workers weren’t helped, which was overall quite dull, as people hear this emphasized daily but it never sparks more resonance.
When he was almost finished speaking, the president finally said, "We had previously contacted City Hall, and both Mayor Landon and Mr. Ferrari suggested that perhaps you could offer us some assistance. May I ask impertinently, is the help they mentioned the kind I’m imagining?"
Lynch nodded slightly. He took out a box of cigarettes and looked questioningly. With a nod of confirmation from the president, he lit one.
"Ding"
A crisp and clear metallic resonance echoed through the room, lingering long, and only disappeared after Lynch took a deep drag of his cigarette and closed the lighter’s cap.
He sat with one leg crossed, cigarette in hand, and one hand resting on the edge of the conference table, slightly turned to the side.
This posture, during such a formal negotiation, didn’t appear very respectful, but he did it anyway. Was he unaware?
No, he knew; he was merely probing.
Many who haven’t gone through negotiations don’t understand that negotiation isn’t as simple as haggling over prices at a street stall, where you call out a price, I call out a price, and then we gradually seek consensus.
Real negotiation is not that simple; calling it a war would not be an exaggeration. It tests not only wit and energy but also physical strength.
According to some unofficial records, the longest single negotiation lasted over twenty hours, and negotiations spanning weeks or months haven’t been unheard of.
In these negotiations, probing the other’s bottom line, acceptance capabilities, and expected goals becomes the most crucial task. They don’t just adhere to language but use various methods.
For example, Lynch’s inappropriate sitting posture could be a test. If the Workers’ Union’s stance and attitude were very tough, they might say something like, "Mr. Lynch doesn’t seem ready for this negotiation; perhaps we should reschedule," thus probing Lynch.
But there was none of that. The president of the Workers’ Union, upon seeing him do this, merely raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Scientists say smoking is bad for your health."
With one sentence and one attitude, Lynch already gleaned some important information: the Workers’ Union’s attitude wasn’t tough, their stance wasn’t firm. In other words, the conditions they’ve put in writing aren’t their bottom line, and more can be stripped away.
Lynch nodded slightly, "Thank you for the concern. Now, let’s get down to business..."
He glanced at the cigarette in his hand, and someone immediately provided an ashtray. After saying thanks, he flicked the ash and said, "What I’m offering isn’t jobs, but orders. Do I need to explain?"
This statement sounded somewhat irritating. The management of the Workers’ Union frowned and communicated with bewildered looks, seemingly not understanding what Lynch was getting at. Naturally, the president smiled and affirmed Lynch’s statement, "If you don’t mind, explaining in more detail would certainly give us a better understanding."
"I don’t intend to hire any workers. You all know, the current Federation laws protect workers inside a steel box, and this excessive protection has caused many problems."
"As far as I know, in each factory’s union branch, some workers don’t have to work; their daily task is to sit in the office the factory has allocated to them, read newspapers, watch TV, play cards with others, or sleep."
This situation is widespread, although the union president had a different view, "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Lynch; you seem to have misunderstood our work slightly."
"In our branches within each factory, we also have daily work arrangements. What those worker representatives do every day is handle these daily tasks, ensure the production order of the factory is not affected by other factors, and, when necessary, manage conflicts between workers and between workers and factory owners."
"All enterprises that have established union branches have significantly higher efficiency than before establishing branches."
Lynch bluntly added, "More troubles and more expenses too!"
This interruption made the atmosphere in the room a bit stiff; there was no denying that Lynch’s interruption was apt. Every factory with a union branch requires half a day each week to organize worker activities, and it must be during a weekday, reasoning that holding them over the weekend would take up workers’ rest time, which isn’t humane.
Workers naturally enjoy this half-day of relaxation every week and can also demand that employers pay them for this half-day. They claim this isn’t absenteeism.
In addition, meals and other necessities are also arranged and demanded. Occasionally, union branches will incite workers to confront factory owners, striving for more benefits and perks.
This situation mostly occurred during the Federation’s best economic years when people had a vivid impression of the phrase "time is money." Thus factory owners, to avoid hindering operations, would proactively increase various benefits, requesting workers continue to work diligently as before.
Therefore, the Workers’ Union is not something people are fond of; it’s not as rosy as the Workers’ Union president depicts, at least not for capitalists.
Lynch wasn’t a capitalist, but he was a merchant, and in this aspect, he took the merchant’s side.
The two exchanged glances for a moment, with the president smiling wryly, a smile filled with a sense of "you just don’t get it." He bypassed the topic, "Let us discuss those orders instead."
Lynch nodded, flicked the ash, "I need people to produce some clothing, accessories, blankets, leather shoes, and possibly other wearables for adults and children, men’s and women’s, everything."
The union president, after hearing this, nodded slightly; this was a large order. The reason was simple: for the current ready-made garment factories, producing fifty-odd pieces wasn’t even enough to organize a startup. Lynch wasn’t some young lad who knew nothing; he surely understood this too.
If it’s thousands, if not tens of thousands of pieces, while a single product might not seem significant, when all items are combined, it becomes a large order.
At this moment, the president began calculating internally, thinking about which factory owner to introduce this order to. Of course, he wasn’t entirely selfless; the Workers’ Union encouraged workers to confront capitalists while simultaneously aiding capitalists in appeasing workers, getting them back to their jobs.
To this end, capitalists needed to provide some feasible assistance to the Workers’ Union, such as writing a check or something similar.
Whoever gave more money or had better private relations with them, the president would hand over these orders to them.
He just overlooked the point that things weren’t as simple as they appeared.
Indeed, Lynch soon said again, "But this time, I plan to adopt a completely new approach, bypassing the factory production stage, to directly enable workers to create benefits, making them the first beneficiaries."
The union president was stunned, "If there’s no factory stage, how do we ensure production uniformity? Also, as far as I’m aware, this form of employment doesn’t seem to exist in our country..."
Lynch raised a hand slightly, gesturing to interrupt the president’s words, "No, it’s not employment. I have to remind you, President, this is cooperation."
"I believe Sabin City has many workers skilled in sewing and making accessories who are currently unemployed...", the president nodded, and Lynch continued, "If I give the orders to factories, and those factories hire them, it adds an extra stage, namely the factory stage."
"This also means I must reserve enough profit for the factory, only then will they start production, which is clearly unbearable for me. We all know starting production is no longer the same as before; now it means losses."
"So why don’t we bypass this stage and deal directly with the workers?", Lynch extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray, taking a sip of coffee. The blend of the cigarette’s smell and the coffee’s aroma formed a peculiar scent, one despised by women but quite unique for men.
"Workers can spontaneously form small workshops on a family basis. I give them orders, and the more they produce, the more they earn. If they refuse to work, then I don’t have to bear any extra costs."
"The one who works more earns more, President. I will pay according to the number of qualified pieces they produce, with no factory stage involved; workers get more pay, and I reduce costs. That’s my proposal."
He changed his sitting posture and continued to look at the people opposite him.
These people whispered among themselves, seemingly muddled by Lynch’s statement. Some didn’t even know what Lynch had said, but instinctively felt something was off.
Without a factory, the union had no room to intervene. Without room for union intervention, they couldn’t demonstrate the Workers’ Union’s role in society, nor its value between capitalists and workers, which contradicts the union’s purpose!
At this time, it was hard to come to a result through discussion, and the president later indicated, "We have never dealt with these issues before; we need time to discuss them further before giving you an accurate response."
"But before the outcome is reached, may I ask a question? This question bothers me."
Lynch nodded, "Of course, that’s why we are sitting here."
The president maintained his smile, though his gaze shifted slightly, "In your description, I seem to have not found what we need to do. Does the Workers’ Union play any role in this?"
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